reputation. Bottled at the natural springs, free from metallic and organic impurity, selzer water from Nassau, Apollinaris and other waters, may be said to be absolutely pure from organic or metallic pollutions; the saline ingredients of selzer water, however, contain by far too large a proportion of chloride of sodium (common salt) to render it particularly suitable for assuaging thirst, and it is therefore the less to be advocated as an ordinary beverage.

On account of the large constituent of mineral matters to be found in many of these German waters, they are, according to the salts they contain, particularly efficacious in the treatment of many constitutional disorders. This efficacy has been so long well attested, that it is unnecessary to enlarge upon their medicinal effects; we wish, however, to point out that they are not as perfect in their combinations as is desirable, from the fact that they are almost all imbued with accidental ingredients which diminish their curative value, as well as render them nauseous. We do not see how these adventitious constituents can be eliminated from the natural waters; some, for instance, such as sulphuretted hydrogen and other sulphur compounds, must always militate against the general use of these otherwise valuable waters. Efforts are now being made to reproduce the most

desirable of these free from accidental objectionable constituents, both in the form of a pure aërated liquid and in the shape of a concrete substance. Our experience of the effect produced by these purified salines has been highly favourable in comparison with those obtained direct from the natural springs.

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CHAPTER II.

MILK.

ILK is correctly stated to be the only food complete in itself. Not only is milk furnished with every requisite of nutrition, but for a certain period of life, that of early infancy, it is the only food required in a condition of health, and in many instances the addition of any other description of food besides milk is absolutely injurious.

The natural secretion which is provided for all young animals, varying only in the proportion of its constituents, is curiously enough adapted to the necessities of the younger carnivora whose future diet is flesh alone, and for the little lambs who will ultimately browse upon herbage. Milk is therefore the universal food, as well as the perfect food, for the whole range of mammalia.

It must not be supposed that milk contains, either in the principles of its composition, or in their relative proportions, the strong meat fit for the sustentation of mature life.

The great divergence before alluded to, between

flesh on the one hand and vegetable food on the other, is quite sufficient to prove that milk by itself cannot replace the diet suited to the instincts of animal life after the earlier portion of its existence. If this be granted with regard to the carnivora and herbivora, the analogy will hold good when the natural instincts predispose to an omnivorous diet, whether these be exhibited among four-footed mammals or by human bipeds. It is therefore necessary to clear away the oft-repeated error that the milk diet, however essential in infancy, is a proper and judicious food to place entire dependence on in after life.

Regarding milk in its very essence as a food, it must be taken from the standpoint of its use as nourishment from the moment of birth. When the first natural secretion of milk is obtained, whether from the human mother or the cow, it is composed of ingredients very different in proportion and quality from that of the milk intended for the subsistence of the young animal. Its first peculiarity is that it contains a large excess of solid matters generally, and particularly an excess of mineral matters or salts, which cause it to assume a purgative action.

The first milk of the cow is termed beastings by the dairymen, and its extra richness and yellow colour is sometimes shown in the milk retailed by

them. It cannot, however, be considered advisable to distribute this mixed up with the later milk of other cows. In the human subject the peculiarity of the first milk is of a like nature, and is termed colostrum.

Human milk contains about eleven per cent. of solids, in which the sugar greatly preponderates. Neither the casein or cheesy matter nor the butter is nearly so abundant as in the milk of the cow; nor are the salts contained in the human milk present to the extent of much more than a third of those found in cows' milk. From this it is evident that in all attempts to feed infants upon cows' milk, it must be reduced by the addition of water to such an extent as will somewhat approximate it to the milk derivable from a healthy natural source.

This may be roughly stated to be accomplished by the addition of one-third water, and a little sugar. The reason for this dilution of cows' milk when employed for infant feeding will be better shown by contrasting the amount of solids and their composition; and to render this comparison more complete it may be as well to subjoin particulars of the components of the milk of asses and goats. Both of these have been frequently prescribed and used as substitutes for human milk when cows' milk has been found to disagree. The milk of the cow averages about thirteen to four